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who is gildor inglorion?

The problem with "Gildor Inglorion, of the house of Finrod" is that there is no longer any Elf named Inglor. In the original drafts, Inglor's full name was Inglor Felagund -- that's right, Felagund. During one of Tolkien's revisions, Inglor Felagund became Finrod Felagund. Presumably, all references to Inglor therefore should now refer to Finrod. Similarly, that same draft created an Elf named Finrod, who in this same revision, now became Finarfin.

Christopher points out that Gildor Inglorion of the house of Finrod is an anomoly -- the only remaining anacronistic reference to Inglor-who-is-Finrod and Finrod-who-is-Finarfin. By this reasoning, the passage should read, "Gildor Finrodion, of the house of Finarfin".

So, Gildor is supposed to be Finrod's son, right? Well... yes and no. The Histories also say that Finrod had no wife and no child. However, if references to 'Inglor' became references to 'Finrod', then clearly, Gildor was intended to be Finrod's child.

The other major piece of data that can be used to help (or hinder) us is when Gildor was born. Many people assume he was born in Aman and fled with the Noldor after the Darkening of Valinor. However, in LoB, there is recounted the tale of how Barahir saved "Inglor Felagund" (who, as we know, became Finrod Felagund) during the Dagor Bragollach. One of Barahir's companions was a mortal named Gildor. Tolkien was very good about not reusing names without a purpose. So, is it merely coincidence that Inglor [> Finrod] had a son named Gildor and then, many years later, was saved by a Man also named Gildor? Or, was he saved by a Man named Gildor, and then, to honor that, named his only son -- who was born perhaps some years later -- after the brave Man?

I tend to go with the latter theory because the first theory is just too... un-Tolkien-like. The coincidence of the same name existing at the same time in members of different races just doesn't sit well with me. So, by my reasoning, Gildor Inglorion had to have been born after the Dagor Bragollach, in Middle-Earth.

Therefore, as an author, there are four main schools of thought that you can use when writing Gildor.

1. Gildor is Finrod's child, of the house of Finarfin. (This discards the concept of Finrod having no children, and recalls a little-recognized footnote that gave Finrod an unnamed wife in Middle-Earth following the Return of the Noldor.)

2. Gildor is Inglor's child, of the house of Finrod. (This, too, discards the concept of Finrod having no children since "Inglor" would have to have been Finrod's child to begin with.)

3. Gildor is Inglor's child, of the house of Finarfin. (This avoids the Finrod problem altogether, but requires the author to create an Elf named Inglor somewhere in the line of Finarfin who was born before Elrond and Elros -- because it is explicitly stated that they were the last of the house of Finwe born during the Eldar Days.)

4. Gildor just is. (This chucks the whole mess out the window and just hangs Gildor out in some long-forgotten branch of the Eldar.)


	Disclaimer This site contains content of an adult nature, both in written and graphical versions. If you are under the age of consent in your city, state, country, or province, please click here and exit the site. Site Map home lotr fanfiction elvish rants inspiration artwork links Section Links Canon vs AU/Non-Canon Children and Music The Civil War Debunking Evil!Thranduil Elven Haircolor 101 Elvish Names 101 Elvish Names Continued Elven Population Elven Rebirth Fanon, Part One Free Speech Independence Day Bullshit Musings On The Movie "Supersize Me" The Mysterious Glorfindel Nazi Germany Symbols and Words Voting Rights Act Who Is Gildor Inglorion? Why Gay Christian Is Not An Oxymoron		Essays who is gildor inglorion? The problem with "Gildor Inglorion, of the house of Finrod" is that there is no longer any Elf named Inglor. In the original drafts, Inglor's full name was Inglor Felagund -- that's right, Felagund. During one of Tolkien's revisions, Inglor Felagund became Finrod Felagund. Presumably, all references to Inglor therefore should now refer to Finrod. Similarly, that same draft created an Elf named Finrod, who in this same revision, now became Finarfin. Christopher points out that Gildor Inglorion of the house of Finrod is an anomoly -- the only remaining anacronistic reference to Inglor-who-is-Finrod and Finrod-who-is-Finarfin. By this reasoning, the passage should read, "Gildor Finrodion, of the house of Finarfin". So, Gildor is supposed to be Finrod's son, right? Well... yes and no. The Histories also say that Finrod had no wife and no child. However, if references to 'Inglor' became references to 'Finrod', then clearly, Gildor was intended to be Finrod's child. The other major piece of data that can be used to help (or hinder) us is when Gildor was born. Many people assume he was born in Aman and fled with the Noldor after the Darkening of Valinor. However, in LoB, there is recounted the tale of how Barahir saved "Inglor Felagund" (who, as we know, became Finrod Felagund) during the Dagor Bragollach. One of Barahir's companions was a mortal named Gildor. Tolkien was very good about not reusing names without a purpose. So, is it merely coincidence that Inglor [> Finrod] had a son named Gildor and then, many years later, was saved by a Man also named Gildor? Or, was he saved by a Man named Gildor, and then, to honor that, named his only son -- who was born perhaps some years later -- after the brave Man? I tend to go with the latter theory because the first theory is just too... un-Tolkien-like. The coincidence of the same name existing at the same time in members of different races just doesn't sit well with me. So, by my reasoning, Gildor Inglorion had to have been born after the Dagor Bragollach, in Middle-Earth. Therefore, as an author, there are four main schools of thought that you can use when writing Gildor. 1. Gildor is Finrod's child, of the house of Finarfin. (This discards the concept of Finrod having no children, and recalls a little-recognized footnote that gave Finrod an unnamed wife in Middle-Earth following the Return of the Noldor.) 2. Gildor is Inglor's child, of the house of Finrod. (This, too, discards the concept of Finrod having no children since "Inglor" would have to have been Finrod's child to begin with.) 3. Gildor is Inglor's child, of the house of Finarfin. (This avoids the Finrod problem altogether, but requires the author to create an Elf named Inglor somewhere in the line of Finarfin who was born before Elrond and Elros -- because it is explicitly stated that they were the last of the house of Finwe born during the Eldar Days.) 4. Gildor just is. (This chucks the whole mess out the window and just hangs Gildor out in some long-forgotten branch of the Eldar.)